


The Origins of Johnathan Fisher

by JackTheSoldier



Category: 18th Century Historical Fiction, American Revolution RPF, Historical Fiction, OC (Original Character) - Fandom
Genre: F/M, I had no plan, M/M, Might devolve into Gay-assery, they're all ocs it's just Johnathan's backstory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:13:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29664336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackTheSoldier/pseuds/JackTheSoldier
Summary: The backstory and origin of Johnathan Fisher, an original character born in 1758.
Relationships: Anderson Fisher/Rachel Matthews, Numerous OCs but they don't matter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. The Families

The Fisher and Matthews Families had never in three generations been seen as pure or clean or fine families. Every generation there was a new lover that eloped with a son or fell in love and cut ties. It began with Robert Matthews, a Spaniard, marrying a German woman, and they had five children and resided in Spain with a small business of just helping others. Robert’s son, Elijah Matthews, had a wife he took on from England, and his Spaniard father never approved of her, even if he had double standards. Elijah and his wife Charlotte eloped and left Spain as soon as they gathered the money, sailing from Europe to the young America and happy with just themselves. 

Charlotte was a very good wife to Elijah, but the longer they lived in America, the more they grew impatient with her own lack of children. They were truly in love, and Elijah treated her like no other man, but she felt incapable. Until she showed signs of being pregnant, despite the hopelessness, and she had a girl. They named her Rachel, and she had two more sisters before Charlotte and Elijah were happy with them. They wanted no more. 

The Fisher Family, however, had started in Ireland, and John Fisher had left for America as soon as he thought he could make it on his own. From Ireland he went to the south and found work in trading, hardly managing to profit well off of it until he managed to save and buy his own firm, his own boats, and his land and he grew in Northeastern South Carolina, until he met a man named Dean Bull. He was a man crippled by debt and everyone knew the man had suffered through tough times with his own business. He begged for help from John Fisher, and he offered it to Bull. Bull began to work keeping records for Fisher, after being taught how to tightly manage everything. During the time, Bull introduced Fisher to his daughter, Margaret. It didn’t take long for the two to find common ground, and Fisher asked Bull for the chance to marry her. Of course, a man who had been finally saved from debt would allow such things, and they were quickly wed. 

John Fisher and Margaret Bull Fisher had two children of their own, a son and daughter, and when Margaret became sick after the birth of her son, they both agreed to begin to adopt and foster children instead of risking her life for more. They adopted five children, three girls and two boys, but John’s only true son, Paul Margaret Fisher, was his favorite. He treated them all the same with the expectation that they would all inherit his business one day, but he expected the most from Paul. Paul lived up to exactly what his father wanted, and he took over the Fisher business when John decided to retire from it. 

Unfortunately, Paul had a twisted way with words and a heart set on swaying as many women as he could. Paul was charming, too much for his own good, and between his job and managing to help his younger siblings grow up, he found time for parties and women and nights away from home. Nobody was sure how many women he stayed with, but all of them loved him. He married a wealthy woman named Sarah-Elizabeth Dawnner, who was a young lady just arrived from England when they got married. He hardly loved her, and continued his nighttime pursuits, even if he knew his wife was pregnant. She began to notice his absence from her bed, and when she was with her third child, she simply left. 

Sarah went to find John and Margaret to stay with, and after she had told them all that happened and brought her two sons, Anderson and Michael, with her, they promptly called on the family’s lawyer to remove Paul from the family name. He hardly fought with his own parents, and the business went to James, the next son in line. Paul simply left South Carolina after that, supposedly with the wealth he had stolen from Sarah, and he simply went by the name Paul Charles afterwards. Rumors started to unwind, and Sarah was left to raise her three sons with the Fisher family. 


	2. To Choose

When Anderson Fisher was only fourteen, his mother encouraged him to be confident and express what he knew like a true man. Anderson was a rebel, however, and he was as unruly as the next young boy. He was the bad influence of his family, always convincing his cousins into running into the river to chase fish or catching snakes behind the barn, and always against his mother’s word. He was smart, but incredibly stupid. When Sarah had suggested school for him, he simply sneered and ran off. 

“No school! School is for dummies!” He had shouted and left to find one of his brothers to bother. 

“He’s only rebellious because he has his father’s blood in him,” James Fisher had said to Sarah one day. “He needs to be taught, though, or he’ll hardly learn.” 

So, Anderson was sent to a boarding school in the North as soon as he was eighteen, and they had drilled discipline into him by the time he got back. James had smiled and greeted Anderson at the docks of Charleston upon his return. 

“Did you learn much? We haven’t heard much of you since last winter.” 

“I learned that the women in the North are very ugly and rude,” Anderson sighed. “But yes, Uncle James, I learned.” 

“You’re a young man with a lot to look up to, I’m sure you’re itching to meet pretty ladies. They never really stuck out to me, not any yet, but you’ll find her, lad. She’s out there.” 

Anderson Fisher was taken as James’ apprentice to continue the family business. His uncle James had yet to marry, yet to have any children, yet to find “the one”, he called it. James had no heir, so he chose the man with nothing to inherit. 

Rachel hated dressing to impress men she didn’t care for. No man treated her as well as her father treated her mother, and she wanted something as good. Her father had spoiled his daughters and wife alike, and Rachel thought that, as the oldest, she had to make a good name for her family. Their fortune would not go to just any man, it would go to someone she truly loved and thought worthy of it. No man existed, it seemed. No man looked in her direction and caught her eye and heart alike. 

Sure, a handsome face was all well and good, but what good is a face if the personality with it is sickening? A man with a heart of gold and a personality to match is all that Rachel asked for, and she prayed that she found it, only to be a good example of her family and to her sisters. She had to be a fair host with her parents, and numerous wealthy families in the area were supposed to attend. Only so many had shown up so far, and she was growing impatient. Her hair was done up too tightly and her dress squeezed her just so that she couldn’t breathe freely. She felt confined, almost like the walls would fall over on her at any second. She withdrew herself to the drawing room of the home, only to find a young man and who appeared to be his father there. The younger man had a piece of paper propped against a portable table and a pencil in his hand. 

“Anderson, do you honestly expect to just sit in here and draw all evening?” 

“Of course, Uncle. It’s a Drawing room after all.” 

“ _ With _ drawing room, lad. Ma’am.” Rachel perked up as she was addressed. “Do try to convince my nephew that he should speak to other people more. I’m going to speak to your father, Miss Matthews.” 

“Of course, sir,” she smiled at the man’s calm but kind demeanor and turned herself back to the younger man, named Anderson. He glanced at her as she sat beside him and looked at the drawing. It was an older woman with bright eyes and a pleasing smile. 

“I think this is my best work,” Anderson proudly spoke up and smiled at Rachel. He had a strikingly similar smile to the woman he had drawn. 

“She’s very pretty.” 

“Her name is Sarah. It’s my mother.” 

“Well give her my compliments, she is very pretty. And, of course, I must contribute some to the artist who drew her,” Rachel reluctantly admitted as Anderson shot a look before she finished. 

“I will tell her that. I’m sure she’ll be flattered,” he rolled his eyes and flipped the page. His hand paused before he pressed his pencil down, and he seemed to consider what to draw next. 

“Well?” Rachel waited patiently for him to begin. 

“I think I would like to draw you, Miss Matthews,” he announced and moved to sit across from her. She readjusted upon his absence, and straightened her back, despite how it complained. The window behind her let in just enough of the setting sunlight that it lit up Anderson’s face and highlighted his bright eyes, a swimming blue in comparison to her own dull gray, and she was captivated with it all for a moment. 

His hand flew across the paper with the pencil before she knew it, and she held her pose with a slight smile as he worked. The orange of the sky outside coupled with the way Anderson sat and the richness of his chestnut-toned hair made him seem golden and glowing. His expression hardly shifted to reveal his work the whole time. A servant came in to light candles by the time they were finished, and by then, the moon was beginning to rise, just so visible through the room’s farthest window. It washed the drawing room in silver and cream light, and its fullness made Rachel feel light and happy. Her face conveyed it and stretched into a bigger smile. 

When James returned, Anderson had just announced his finishing touches. “It’s perfect, I think, Miss Matthews.” He went to show it to her, and she marvelled at it for a moment. The pencil sketch had highlighted all her finest features, the way she sat and smiled and the perfect lighting of the moon and candles, and she saw the admiration of happiness in her own eyes. Anderson had conveyed every emotion in the portrait. 

“Miss Matthews,” James said from the doorway, “Your father wishes to speak with you, and unfortunately, we must be going.” 

Anderson sighed and pulled away from Rachel as they stood. “It was a pleasure, ma’am.” 

“It was, Mister Anderson.” 

“Anderson Fisher,” he proudly smiled at the revelation of his name and held back from grabbing her hand, presumably to kiss it like so many other men throughout the night. She was glad he didn’t. 

“Well, have a fine evening Mister Fisher, and your uncle.” 

“Good evening, Miss Matthews,” James said, and the pair left without another word. 

Rachel stepped out of the drawing room to find her father. He was standing with another man who appeared a few years older than herself, and he was smiling and laughing at the jokes he was telling. Her mother and sisters looked to Rachel expectantly, but after a greeting and a few of the man’s jokes, she wasn’t pleased. Not as much as she had been by sitting in silence with Anderson. 

Finally, Charlotte pulled her aside. “This is Lucas Pendon, and he’s asked to try his hand at courting you, Rachel. He wants to marry you,” she said in a hush. 

“I want to marry Anderson Fisher,” she whispered back in a determined tone. 


End file.
